Riding the FZ1 To Its Full Capability

2stangs69-91 said:
lol I have no knowledge of how a stock FZ1 handles the track. Mine is geared down fully Ivanized plus a R1 shock. I know have rear sets and will be changing a few more things..the most important thing is still being able to weekend ride it. if I was going to just trck only i would get a R6 or R1 but the whole point was the FZ1 can handle its own in the right hands on the track...and it can..
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I had my '12 on the track with 1000 miles on it, bone stock, stock OEM tires and it did fine. But it left A LOT to be desired. Rearsets are a must if you plan on track days. You drag the stock ones a bunch, even with the feelers removed.

Great thing about the FZ1....all I do is take the mirrors off, pull light fuse, tape up the lights and I'm ready to roll at the track. I just got a spare set of wheels so that I can keep one set with track rubber and one set with street rubber.
 
Even though the Gen II is lighter and more nimble than the Gen 1 its still a pig in comparison to full sportbike. The weight is up high and compared to an R1 you also have 2 less pistons on the brakes and a small rotor (unless you upgraded).

The R bikes are like a surgeon's scalpel, the FZ1 is alike a machete. Not that it bad, not at all, just different. You can improve it drastically, but it will never be a "racebike"...just isn't meant to. The FZ1 gives the best of both worlds though. I can ride and the track and ride 500 mile days on the street without much or any prep work.
 
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Props to you, Gamecock, for tracking your FZ. If I can't find a place with a garage (for a track bike) soon, I'll probably go your route and pick up some wheels off of ebay. I've got Michelin PP3s on right now, and they are a good compromise, but I could still use some more grip on the track and some more life on the road :)

As far as touring on sportbikes... it really has to do with the height of the rider. I know a guy who's in the 5'8"-5'10" range, and he's ridden his zx-6r clear across the country multiple times with only minimal complaints. Me, I'm 6'3". Even on a stock FZ, my knees get achey after an hour or so in a straight line. I had to raise the seat and lower the pegs before I really felt like I had an "all-day" riding position.
 
Hey, I am 5'10" and a bit muscular and work out regularly, still my Daytona completely beats me up even after 150 miles in the twisties. You can tour on them by getting used to certain riding position and keep constantly adapting and adjusting but you won't know how much of a workout that is until you ride a comfortable bike. At the end of the day you would be in much fresher on a upright bike ..
 
I certainly don't have enough tolerance to tour on the tiny little 1986 FZ600. It's cramped, exceedingly buzzy and very narrow. The longest stint I did was 200 miles and that was plenty for me. A modern 600 is a lot more comfortable, I think.

There's a lot of factors at play in the equation; height is only a very small one, IMO
 
Preeminence said:
Props to you, Gamecock, for tracking your FZ. If I can't find a place with a garage (for a track bike) soon, I'll probably go your route and pick up some wheels off of ebay. I've got Michelin PP3s on right now, and they are a good compromise, but I could still use some more grip on the track and some more life on the road :)

As far as touring on sportbikes... it really has to do with the height of the rider. I know a guy who's in the 5'8"-5'10" range, and he's ridden his zx-6r clear across the country multiple times with only minimal complaints. Me, I'm 6'3". Even on a stock FZ, my knees get achey after an hour or so in a straight line. I had to raise the seat and lower the pegs before I really felt like I had an "all-day" riding position.
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I'm 6'1, 250 so the new sportbikes are wee little bikes. My ZX6R is pretty good because its old enough to not be a micro-machine. But my brother bought out my side of that bike, then went down at Jennings on it, so I'm not really riding it.




I got my FZ1 in March this year and did 3 trackdays (Tally GP, Road Atlanta, Barber). Hopefully do more next year. I'm 42, so things DO start to ache no matter what I'm on if I ride long enough! ;)
 
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Dustin said:
I certainly don't have enough tolerance to tour on the tiny little 1986 FZ600. It's cramped, exceedingly buzzy and very narrow. The longest stint I did was 200 miles and that was plenty for me. A modern 600 is a lot more comfortable, I think.

There's a lot of factors at play in the equation; height is only a very small one, IMO
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I had a 93' FZR600 and yeah, you are spot on.

 
I think when you get your ECU back and after gutting your cat you are going to be pleasantly surprised at the track. The power increase is only part of it.
 
2stangs69-91 said:
I think when you get your ECU back and after gutting your cat you are going to be pleasantly surprised at the track. The power increase is only part of it.
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Yep...it's not peak power that I can about...it's all about the delivery and mid range. The stock bike SUCKS down low and on exit. I was astonished how much I hated it and it felt like a 600. As I added mods and dropped the front tooth it got "better" but I desire more. The fuel cut elimination is one of the better things about the flash too.
 
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